1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to apparatuses and methods that facilitate efficient assembly of ribs and hubs of umbrellas and other structures with a plurality of arms that extend from a central hub member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Larger umbrellas, such as market umbrellas, generally include a frame-like structure that is used to support and distribute the weight of an upper portion of the umbrella as well as to enable the umbrella to be opened and closed as desired by the user. The frame-like structure of such umbrellas can take various forms, but often includes one more hubs connected with a plurality of movable structural members.
Past methods of assembly of umbrella hubs and ribs was labor intensive. The process involved inserting a pin through an end portion of a set of ribs, positioning all of the rib ends in a lower portion of a hub, and then placing an upper portion of the hub over the ribs so positioned. Finally, screws were used to attach an upper portion of the hub to the lower portion. While achieving the result of assembling the hub and ribs, this process is tedious and sometimes requires rework, for example if the rib ends become misaligned before the upper hub portion is attached to the lower hub portion.